Bottle brush



Aug. 22, 1939.

H. G. VOLCKENING BOTTLE BRUSH Filed June 14, 1937 ATTORNE Y Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES BOTTLE BRUSH Henry G. Volckening, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Volckening Inc., a corporation of New York Application June 14, 1937, Serial No. 148,046

6 Claims. (Cl. 15-128) This invention relates to cleaning appliances, especially to a cleaning appliance of the type in which a rotating brush works in conjunction with a. brush-complementing fluid jet, and more particularly to such an appliance in which are f combined other means by which the appliance is adapted for advantageous use in cleaning bottles.

Conventional appliances of the above type which employ brushes made of bristles are subject to serious disadvantages, including the fundamental difiiculty experienced in keeping the bristles clean, with the result that the contaminated bristles fail to cleanse properly the bottle itself; and this condition is aggravated by the fact that in the use of such jet-brushes re,- liance is had, for both the cleansing of the in- "terior walls of the bottle, and for the rinsing and scavenging of the soiled water, upon a single jet, ejected through the brush against the bottom of the bottle, so that there is a seriously defective rinsing and scavenging operation after the cleansing operation proper.

Another disadvantage encountered in the use ,of bristles is that the bristles have but relatively little mass, so that the moment of centrifugal force developed by rotation of the brush is insufficient to spread the bristles with enough friction against the circumjacent walls of the bottle to exercise a sufficient mechanical attrition in conjunction with the liquid flushing action to break down the adhesions of the stale contents of the bottle.

Among other causes for dissatisfaction in the 35 commercial use of bristle brushes for the above purpose is, the intrinsic weakening by fluid of the stiff characteristic of the brush which is necessary to maintain its cleansing contact with the bottle walls. Also the relatively rapid wearing 40 and general deterioration of the bristles causes them to fall out. They are difiicult to remove from the bottles under certain conditions, and in any event, result in a brush condition which 45 does not lend itself readily to repairs so that the brush must be replaced by a new brush. This causes loss due to the loss of use of the machine and of the expense of time, labor and materials in effecting replacements. It also results in the 50 less easily identified and preventable losses due to the operators continuing at work bristle brushes which have outlived their usefulness and therefore improperly cleanse the bottle. This is a recognized menace to health and can- 55 not always be identified so as to forestall the health damage even by the strictest system of inspection.

Under such conditions, eiforts have been made over a considerable period of time to provide a more satisfactory and efficient type of brush, and 5 in the course of an extended research into available materials for use as a substitute for bristles in fabricating brushes for the intended service, the present applicant has employed, among other materials, a rubbery substance, 10 divided into elongated strips several inches in length, and which are fabricated with a skeletal structure of textile or fibrous substance, preferably only adequate to lend consistency to the cleaning components, inasmuch as the applicant 15 has ascertained by exhaustive experiments that the optimum cleansing effect can be secured only by the employment of such components in which the flexible, elastic characteristic of the rubbery material is free to develop under the 20 most untrammelled exercise of centrifugal force when the brush thus fabricated is rotated rapidly. The effective moment of centrifugal force is also increased by providing cleaning strips having a much larger cross-section than can be 25 attained by the use of any bristles of natural origin.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning appliance of the type above indicated with what will be hereinafter designated as a cleaner head, for the sake of brevity, of improved construction, and including elements some of which are novel in themselves, while all of the elements are so co-ordinated, in pursuance of the invention, as to secure a new and improved operation by such of the elements as may be of a known character.

More particularly, an object of the invention is to provide a cleaner head having a plurality of cleaning jets, of which one is directed co-axially of the appliance, in the conventional manner, through the center of the brush, while at least one other jet is directed in a novel fashion, at an angle to the first-named jet. The last named jet or jets apply to the walls of the bottle a rinsing and scavenging action which is complementary'to that of the axial jet, in that it is performed concurrently therewith, and in a rotary direction following the primary cleansing action. This scavenging action has the novel characteristic of being exercised independently of the brush, and so is adapted and designed to rinse away and carry ofi completely all of the substances which have been broken down and detached by the mechanical action of the brush 5 combined with the flushing action of the axial jet.

Another object of primary importance is to provide such a cleaner head with a plurality of co-axially disposed cleaning devices of improved structure and arrangement, so disposed that one is of less diameter than the other, and is less affected by centrifugal force, and is therefore adapted to exert its cleansing action directly against the bottom of the bottle and in the vicinity of the impact of the fiuid jet, while the other cleaning device, being of larger diameter is adapted and intended to spread against the circumjacent walls of the bottle, under the greater moment of centrifugal force to which it is subjected, and thus the inner and outer brush components achieve a superior cleansing action upon the bottle walls.

Still another object of the invention is to make the brush components from tubular stock of different diameters and with fingers made by slitting the tube lengthwise so as to utilize all of the available material while leaving the fingers in their original integral relation with a portion of the tube which retains its annular shape and serves as a hub-like attachment portion of sufficient strength to be screwed upon a suitably threaded seat formed upon the hollow shaft of the rotary supporting and actuating member.

Another object is toprovide such a hollow shaft with such threaded seats of different diameters along the shaft with such relation to the jet orifices that there can be nointerference with proper ejectment of the cleaning fiuid by intrusion of the rubbery material of these tubular portions of the cleaning devices, either at the time of their assembly upon the shaft, or in the course of use,

Among other objects of ancillary character is the provision of a spreader element of annular form interposed between the base of the attachment portion of the inner cleaning device and the surrounding fingers of the outer device, whereby the finger components of the outer device are biased outwardly toward the walls of the bottle and are presented in suitable position to be acted upon uniformly by centrifugal force at the start of the machine.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawing, like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in sectional elevation of a cleaning appliance in the construction of which the present invention has been embodied, the same being shown in assembled relation with a bottle upon the circumjacent walls of which the appliance is operating:

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical section of a cleaner head embodying the invention as shown in Fig. 1; this view being taken on a larger scale:

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view in horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an assembly view in sectional elevation of the cleaner head shown in Fig. 1, but taken separately from the hollow shaft.

In a now-preferred embodiment of the invention selected for illustration and description, the

parts designated by the reference character II is a rotatable supporting and actuating member which may desirably take the form, as illustrated, of a tube or hollow shaft, mounted in upright position upon a suitable rotatable part of a washing machine, which is not illustrated, as it may be of a generally conventional character, with connections to a usual source of cleaning fluid under pressure, adequate to create a washing jet through the discharge orifice I2,

In pursuance of the invention, this hollow shaft is pierced, as at I3, to form one or more ducts through which a secondary jet or jets may be created by the fiuid under pressure, as indicated at J, to which reference will be made more at length hereinafter.

In further pursuance of the invention, the hollow shaft is provided with a cleaner head which is designated generally by the reference character H, which constitutes a separately formed tubular extension of the shaft and is mounted removably thereon by any suitable means, as. for example by the nipple N which is fitted upon the shaft as shown in Fig. 1, and into which is screwed a threaded. end Id of the head, the duct I3 being formed in a part of this threaded end which is desirable enlarged, as at I5 to form a limit shoulder.

Immediately above this shoulder, the head is threaded as at I6, to form a seat for what has already been briefly referred to as the outer brush component of my improved cleaner head, and in pursuance of the invention another such threaded seat, of lesser diameter, is formed at H, to receive what has been referred to as the inner brush component, designated by the reference character I9, which is applied to the annular base of this component, where it is screwed upon the threaded seat H; the reference character I8 being similarly applied tothe corresponding annular base portion of the outer brush component where it is screwed upon the seat I6.

These brush components are of like structure and composition, and in pursuance of the invention are made of tubular stock differing only in diameter, each being fabricated of material having a rubbery characteristic, or of stifily elastic or yielding material of equivalent composition, being provided with a content of textile or fibrous substance, as indicated at 20, to aid in making the rubbery constituent self-supporting.

Each of the brush components is .divided into fingers as 2| and 22, of sufficient breadth to act over a considerable area of the bottle wall under treatment by them individually, and of sufficient cross-section to endow each finger with the proper mass to develop a relatively high moment of centrifugal force when the cleaner head is rotated by the operation of the washing machine in known fashion.

The fingers 2|, being nearer the axis, are less forcibly separated, and their tendency is designedly to work upon the bottom I) of the bottle B, near the jet J, with which they cooperate actively, this being a region of close adherence of the stale residuum of the liquid contents of a milk bottle, for instance, and it is found in practice that this novel auxiliary cleaner component adds greatly to the ability of my improved cleaner head to break up the adhesions of such stale residuum.

The outer fingers, as 22, are more affected by the centrifugal force, and are thrown actively outward toward, and into effective scraping contact with, the circumjacent inner walls W of the bottle, co-operating with the flushing action of the jet J which is likewise distributed and forciblydirected against these walls by centrifugal force, the particles of solid matter removed from the bottom probably adding to the mechanical attritional effect by which the particles clingin tothe walls W are removed.

In further pursuance of the invention, the fingers 22 of the outer brush component are biased outwardly by suitable means, which takes theform in the instance illustrated, of a spreader ring 23, the action of which is clearly shown, and need not be elaborately described, it being sufficient to say that this ring may be desirably fitted in the region between the lower end of the inner brush ring I9 and the upper end of the outer brush component ring [8, so that the spreader is automatically positioned when the ring I8 has been screwed home upon its seat and the inner ring I9 has been likewise screwed home, the spreader aiding somewhat to prevent casual and unintended rotative displacement of the rings [8 and I9.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be readily understood-that the improved cleaner head provided by the present invention obviates the disadvantages of the conventional cleaner appliances for the same purpose to which sufliciently extended reference has been made already, and it need only be added that the provision of the secondary jet J" in accordance with my present invention, adds to its efiiciency in a manner which to a practically absolute extent completes the optimum rinsing of the bottle walls and the thorough scavenging of the particles removed by the action of the axial jet J in conjunction with the inner brush component fingers 2|, and the outer brush components 22.

What I claim is:

1. A rotatable cleaner head for a washing machine of the class described, said heads having at least two brush components, each said brush component extending along the axis of rotation of said head and made of a material such as rubber having a resilient yielding characteristic and divided into elongated cleaning fingers or elements of greater individual mass than that of a bristle element of a bristle type brush for the intended use, said brush component having an integral ring at one end from which said fingers extend, said brush components being one within the other, and the ring portion of the inner component being of a less diameter than the ring portion of the outer component, the inner brush component being less affected by centrifugal force and therefore adapted to work against the bottom of a bottle adjacent to the axis of rotation, and the fingers of the outer component being subject to the action of a centrifugal force of greater value and thereby adapted to work upon the circumjacent inner wall of the bottle, and a brush support upon which said brush components are fitted, said brush support having an axial opening communicating with the interior of said inner brush component and being provided with exterior threaded seats of which one is of a diameter adapted to receive the outer ring portion of greater diameter and the other is of a lesser diameter and adapted to receive the similar ring portion of the other brush component.

2. A rotatable cleaner head for awashing machine of the class described, said head having at least two brush components, each said brush component extending along the axis of rotation of said head and made of a material such as rubber having a resilient yielding characteristic and divided into elongated cleaning fingers or elements of greater individual-mass than that of a bristle element of a bristle type brush for the intended use, said brush component having an integral ring at one end from which said fingers extend, said brush components being one within the other, and the ring portion of the innercomponent being of a less diameter than the ring portion of the outer component, the inner brush component being less affected by the centrifugal force and therefore adapted to work against the bottom of a bottle adjacent to the axis of rotation, and the fingers of the outer component being subject to the action of a centrifugal force of greater value and thereby adapted to work upon the circumjacent inner wall of the bottle, and a brush support upon which said brush components are fitted, said brush support having an axial opening communicating with the interior of said inner brush component and being provided with exterior threaded seats of which one is of a diameter adapted to receive the outer ring portion of greater diameter and the other is of a lesser diameter and adapted to receive the similar ring portion of the other brush component, both of the ring portions of the said brush components, when screwed into place, being at a perceptible distance from the mouth of the brush support.

3. A rotatable cleaner head for a washing machine of the class described, said head having at least two brush components, each said brush component extending along the axis of rotation of said head and made of a material such as rubber having a resilient yielding characteristic and divided into elongated cleaning fingers or elements of greater individual mass than that of a bristle element of a bristle type brush for the intended use, said brush component having an integral ring at one end from which said fingers extend, said brush components being one within the other, and the ring portion of the inner component being of a less diameter than the ring portion of the outer component, the inner brush component being less affected by centrifugal force and therefore adapted to work against the bottom of a bottle adjacent to the axis of rotation, and the fingers of the outer component being subject to the action of a centrifugal force of greater value and thereby adapted to work upon the circumjacent inner wall of the bottle, and a brush support upon which said brush components are fitted, said brush support having an axial opening communicating with the interior of said inner brush component and being provided with exterior threaded seats of which one is of a diameter adapted to receive the outer ring portion of greater diameter and the other is of a lesser diameter and adapted to receive the similar ring portion of the other brush component, and .a spreader ring interposed between said ring portions of said inner and outer brush components, said spreader ring being adapted tobias the fingers of the outer brush component radially outward.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a cleaner head for a washing machine of the class described, said head comprising a tubular body having a relatively large attachment adapted to be mounted upon a rotatable part of a washing machine, an extended body portion of reduced diameter and an outer terminal portion of again reduced diameter, the smaller end terminating in an orifice adapted to deliver in an axial direction a jet of cleaning fluid supplied through the bore of said body under pressure from the washing machine, and radially flexible brush components of different diameter being mounted on the said body portions of corresponding diameter, whereby said components develop in their individual cleaning elements a moment of centrifugal force varying according to the radial displacement of the respective elements.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a cleaner head having the features claimed in claim 4 in which each of the extended reduced portions of the body is threaded to serve as a seat for a brush component, and each of said brush components comprises a ring of resistantly yielding material adapted to be screwed upon an appropriate one of said seats.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a cleaner head having the features claimed in claim 4 in which each of the extended reduced portions of the body is threaded to serve as a seat for a brush component, and each of said brush components comprises a ring of resistantly yielding material screwed upon an appropriate one of said seats, said ring being formed integrally with fingers of the resistantly yielding material serving as the individual cleaning elements.

HENRY G. VOLCKENING. 

